Five ways to make your outdoor space safe for wild ducks

Dear Ducks Unlimited Canada,

I’m writing from near Langley, BC. I have some questions for you concerning conservation of waterfowl and particularly about their protection, not so much from human beings, but from predators. How can I best manage predators that seem to be decimating the waterfowl population around our pond?

Travis

Hi Travis,

Thank you for reaching out and for your concern of the well-being of the ducks enjoying your property! While ducks, geese and other waterfowl are resilient and wild, there are things we can consider if we want to make our outdoor spaces better quality habitat for ducks. I invite you to employ whichever of these options seem like they would work best for you:

1.Provide protective cover like tall grasses and native plants

Ducks love to nest and take shelter in vegetation like grasses and shrubs that creates a visual shield from predators who are looking from above and from the side. If you can, let your vegetation grow to create habitat for ducks, while providing other benefits to wildlife and local pollinators, this is the most effective thing you can do

2. Reduce easy access lines

Pathways created for human access to certain locations are known as cutlines or linear features. Just as we prefer travelling on clear and open pathways, so do predators. If your property is large, reducing the number of linear features (and not creating more!) can create more difficult travel options for predators, resulting in a better habitat for waterfowl.

3. Let the ducks find their own foods

You may think that feeding the ducks is a nice way to support their survival, but we recommend you leave them be. Ducks can have specific dietary needs and the foods we choose might not be appropriate. Additionally, excess food could become an attractant for certain types of predators, or could rot and create fungus or bacteria, both of which would be detrimental to duck health. If habituated to the feedings, ducks could become more complacent which would create a better opportunity for predators to overcome them. Ducks are wild and very well-versed in finding food for themselves. The same can be applied to predators – ensure attractants like compost, livestock feed or other items are well contained to discourage predator visits.

4. Consider your cats and dogs

If you have animals on your property, they could be a boon or a threat to the wild ducks. Certain dog breeds can be protectors chasing away predators, while other breeds may be predators themselves, depending on temperament and training. If you have a dog on your property, consider their personality as they roam the landscape. Cats are also carnivores and historically have a reputation for hunting many bird species. We recommend keeping distance between your cats and wildlife by keeping your cats indoors or properly restrained.

5. Create ideal shelters, monitor structures on the landscape

Nest boxes, hen houses, and nesting tubes are excellent structures that many cavity nesting waterfowl, like wood duck, hooded merganser, common goldeneye, or mallard (for the nesting tubes) will happily reside in and can be designed and built to dissuade predators. While not all ducks use these, the structures can be installed in various places on your property and many ducks will return to the same nest box again and again if well-maintained and well-located. Find instructions on how to build nest boxes, or watch these instructional videos. If you have structures like old sheds or barns on your property, predators will sometimes find shelter in these spaces. Monitor the structures on your landscape for uninvited guests.

We hope this helps with your predator concern, and we are happy your landscape is so appealing to ducks!